In these seven books recommended for preschool and/or primary readers, families, friends, and communities assemble to celebrate, to help one another, or simply to eat! See also our Five Questions interview with author Kusum Mepani and illustrator Yasmeen Ismail about Meena’s Saturday.

Saturdays at Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood
by Tony Hillery; illus. by Jessie Hartland
Preschool, Primary    Wiseman/Simon    48 pp.
7/24    9781665929783    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781665929790    $10.99

Mr. Tony and his student, Nevaeh, plot during the winter months how to bring their community garden in Harlem into bloom with a spring cleanup and planting party. The neighborhood shows up — people of all backgrounds, with gardening tools and flowers and seeds and doughnuts for snacking on — to work together and watch their garden grow. They add a small library, too, and just as they share their library of books, the group shares their library of knowledge, with members who have expertise in cooking, in raising chickens, in plumbing and carpentry. Hartland’s illustrations burst with color and detail, a visual feast; keen-eyed readers will notice plants growing and changing from scene to scene. The daubs of paint and visible brushstrokes give the art a tactile feel that pairs well with the vibrancy and hands-on nature of the garden. Children will enjoy the art but also likely appreciate learning (from the back matter) that the book is based on a true story and written by Mr. Tony himself. Steps to start an urban school community garden and a recipe for vegetable soup are also appended. Perfect both for a lap-sit to pore over the details and for community-garden or farmers’-market storytimes. AMANDA R. TOLEDO

My Father’s House
by Mina Javaherbin; illus. by Lindsey Yankey
Primary    Candlewick    32 pp.
11/24    9781536225532    $18.99

A little girl and her father explore his hometown of Isfahan in Iran. They visit the ruins of a fire temple at dawn and meet her father’s friend in his Jewish neighborhood, then meet up with another friend near the centuries-old Vank church. At the city center, the girl is awed by the grand palace and mosques and reflects on how the “lace-shaped windows” of the mosque mirror the arcs in the synagogue, church, and temple. They make their way to her father’s house, past the coppersmith’s bazaar, where her father laughingly recalls childhood antics. At home, they are greeted by his grandmother and his former nanny, who shares some freshly baked sangak bread. Later, they sit down for a winter’s meal of chicken and rice with walnut and pomegranate sauce before sleep and dreams take over. This nostalgic story is framed through Isfahan’s historical monuments and the interiors of the father’s house. The mixed-media illustrations are in a muted palette with bright pops of color — tiles, fabrics, household decorations. A glimpse into the rich architecture, cuisine, and interreligious history of Iran, this is also an ode to a cherished childhood and a shared past with people of different faiths. An author’s note makes personal connections; a glossary is also appended. SADAF SIDDIQUE

This Table
by Alex Killian; illus. by Brooke Smart
Primary    Greystone Kids    32 pp.
5/24    9781771645829    $18.95

The main table in a home is often where memories are made. Killian’s debut picture book explores this table’s many roles in one family’s life. The easy-to-read story starts where a wooden table begins: “as a seed that grew into a great strong tree.” The tree is felled, taken to a workshop, and carefully crafted. The top is sanded, legs attached. The wood is stained, sealed, and set to dry. The family places the table “in the middle of a house, and life grew up around it.” Smart’s watercolor illustrations add to the story with playful and inventive scenes. The number of people grows and shrinks, and scenes evolve from the quiet act of arranging flowers to a birthday party spilling over with family and friends. Their table is filled to overflowing with the chaos of an unfolded map, children’s drawings, and more. A clean, empty table shown near the end prompts discussion about readers’ own experiences around family tables. The story concludes where it started: “This table began as a seed and became the heart of someone’s home.” JOAN YOLLECK

 Joyful Song: A Naming Story
by Lesléa Newman; illus. by Susan Gal
Preschool, Primary    Levine/Levine Querido    40 pp.
5/24    9781646143702    $18.99

It’s Zachary’s baby sister’s first Shabbat, and the whole family is on their way to the synagogue for her naming ceremony. As they bump into people throughout their diverse neighborhood, a sweet pattern emerges: a neighbor asks the baby’s name; Zachary is bursting to tell, but the family answers with a nickname (e.g., “Little Babka”), since her real name won’t be announced until the ceremony; the neighbor is then invited along. At the ceremony itself, in which Zachary plays an active role, the happy suspense culminates in the reveal of an aptly chosen name. This welcome, positive, inclusive story (the family is interracial and has two mothers) portrays a child infectiously excited about a new sister and about a Jewish ritual. Vibrant illustrations depict a synagogue bathed in warmth and light through stained-glass windows and a cheerful neighborhood complete with palm trees and colorful flora; even a rainstorm doesn’t break the joyful mood. An author’s note discusses the varied traditions around Jewish baby-naming ceremonies. SHOSHANA FLAX

The Heart Never Forgets
by Ana Ot; illus. by Hayden Goodman
Primary    Atheneum    40 pp.
4/24    9781665913058    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781665913065    $10.99

A young girl and her family celebrate the annual West African tradition of masquerade — the first one since her grandfather’s death. The dark-skinned protagonist hears the “Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum!” of drums and knows masquerade, which “honor[s] our ancestors,” will soon begin. Her family, dressed in traditional garb, shares akaras, “Grandpa’s favorite food,” and carries items that belonged to him: Mama wears his bead bracelet; Papa wears his green velvet hat; and the girl’s brother proudly carries his special walking stick. Despite the festivities, the little girl feels that “masquerade without [Grandpa] hurts too much.” The drummers and musicians “stream by in splashes of color and fanfare,” followed by the masquerades — costumed performers whose masks (per an author’s note) symbolize “the tribe’s cultural roots” and represent deities, spirits, or ancestors. “The burst of energy in the air lifts my spirit and gives me courage. I know what I must do.” When the dancers finally appear, the girl courageously participates in the celebration in her own way. Goodman’s culturally rich gouache illustrations add energy to this heartfelt introduction to the uniqueness of this village-wide masquerade celebration. A joyful story of a ritual of remembrance. MICHELLE H. MARTIN

Being Home
by Traci Sorell; illus. by Michaela Goade
Primary    Kokila/Penguin    32 pp.
5/24    9781984816030    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781984816047    $10.99

Caldecott-winning Goade (Tlingit Nation) evokes a unique mood in each book she illustrates. Here she uses gray and dull browns and blues in her mixed-media art to show city scenes, but leafy green to depict the rural ancestral lands of a family’s home, to which they are returning. Brilliantly, she employs hot pink as the signature color for the narrator, a girl who happily moves away from the city without looking back (“I’m ready”). In the first pages, that pink appears as a kind of decorative, clashing overlay, as if the girl’s imagination is doodling over her nondescript surroundings. As they drive home, though, more warm pink colors appear contextually in flowers, furniture, clothing, food, and the sunset — the girl blends in ­naturally with her new environment. The progression of colors matches the spare text by Sorell (Cherokee Nation), which describes the family’s change in location as a change in rhythm and tempo: “Singing, / shell shaking, / storytelling, / stickball playing / all offer different beats.” This story beautifully captures the joy of returning home and reuniting with family. LARA K. AASE

A Roof!
by Stephanie Ellen Sy; illus. by Daniel Tingcungco
Primary    Kokila/Penguin    40 pp.
9/24    9780593697054    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780593697061    $10.99

Following a typhoon in the Philippines, Maya discovers a corrugated metal roof that has fallen into her yard. Maya and Tatay (her father) embark on a journey to return the thin roof, folded up “like a lumpia,” to its owners. Along the way, Maya and Tatay witness the aftermath of the massive storm: a swollen river, fallen trees, and, eventually, a house missing part of its roof. They also meet people who are eager to help: “a sapatero, some pearl divers, a pig breeder, a labandera,” and more. Tingcungco’s digital mixed-media art with thick, densely saturated brushstrokes illustrates the beauty of the Philippines and of community as well as the gravity and destructiveness of natural disasters. Readers are introduced to the biodiverse landscapes of the islands, their waterfalls, mountains, and giant palms and ferns; as well as species native to the land, including carabao, fiddler crab, needle fish, and egrets. The dramatic perspectives — on top of the roof, in the depths of the woods, underwater — evoke in readers a feeling of being part of the mission to reunite the roof with its family. In an author’s note, Sy explains this feeling, bayanihan, or being in community. Also appended are illustrated translations of the professions named earlier in Tagalog of those who helped along the way. GABI KIM HUESCA

From the November 2024 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.